Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-04-07

boor of darkened room. Then the
whole procession of servants passes
through that room, one by one. When
the hrst one passes through the OPP
posite door the second one steps in,
and so on. Almost invariably the mic
sing article is found in the dish at the
close of the operation, and restitution
made easy" has carried the day. De-
tective tricks are hardly ever played
on the poor, unsuspecting Persian
thief. Occasionally. however, an ex-
ception is made, especially since the
new chief OF justice in Teheran, an
italian nobleman, Count di Monteforte,
has imported some innovations into
the pastoral simplicity. A ludicrous
case for which he was responsible will
bear the telling. A theft of consider
able proportions had occurred in the
household of amin-ed-douleh minister
OF the treasury and the eunuchs were
suspected. They, however. denied,
point blank. Then a mollah (priest)
was introduced into the house, after
first ~eceiving his instructions from the
police chief. This venerable person.
age assured the assembled domestics
that the culprit would have his hand
palsied the moment he dipped it into
the dish in the adjoining room. Then
the servants all filed through the dark
ened room, being first solemnly ad-
jured TO touch the dish. The guilty
party was caught. His fear betrayed
him. The dish contained sifted wheat
-four, and everybody's hand bore the
traces Of contact with the flour on
| emerging from the room except the
Negroes. He was at once accused by
the priest and confessed. OF course
he attributed the detection to sorcery;
the simple but effective trick had not
been fathomed by this child of nature.
Such heroic measures are, however,
but seldom resorted to in Persian
households. ITO take and let take" 10
there the motto which is not often devil
ated from.
One more peculiar custom connected
with domestic service in vogue in that
country deserves mention. Like the
asylums and sanctuaries OF the middle
| mitted a crime, incurred the enmity OF
a powerful noble. or made themselves
otherwise very obnoxious, seek service
| in the house of . mighty protector to
| escape the consequences of their do
ings. Thus, on the election of a new
fayorite to the rank of sadr azem
| (grand viZier) the new-dedged digni-
tary will at once find fockinS under
his banner hundreds of these men. He
will ask them what they want. and
| they will simply make reply: Now
kerr mikonam' Il am doing you SER
| vice.. and that will settle it. These
| refugees are often men of wealth and
station, and will not ask for nor expect
pay. but will cheerfully run errands,
hold the masters horse, and perform
similar light offices. Nobody will then
! interfere with them. The same is true
| of those men in the service of the va
| rious legations in Persia who have
taken refuge under the flag of another
! nation and gladly perform mental SER
vice for its representative on account OF
some disagreement or other with their
own government-sucha as the evading
OF taxes, desortlng from the army, and
| the like. Rebel chiefs and similar in
| teresting gentlemen will occasionally
run into port OF this kind, and the
Persian Government, which can not
boast Of possessing 4 penitentiary and
| owns nothing of similar nature ex-
cepting one small Jail in Teberan (Am-
| barr, which is always overcrowded
with poor wretches accused of high
treason or other grave political offenses,
and who are unfeelGgly left there to
starve or rot. as they please, has nc
strong objections to be rid of the less
formidable class of malefactors by this
device. Thus everybody is pleased
and happy and many European diplo-
mate in Persia unwittingly saves the
State annually snug little sum fol
Jail board by keeping this am.able cut
throat and that delectable highway
robber in his employ and pay.-M l.
| Commercial -4dCeTtiSer.